Aqua Expeditions in cruise control with US$28m boost

Aqua plans to add coastal cruising in “soft-adventure destinations” to its portfolio of river cruises along the Amazon and Mekong Rivers. Details of its ships and itineraries will be released later this month.

Boutique river cruise firm Aqua Expeditions will increase its fleet size by 150% and add new geographic locations over the next two years.

Aqua plans to add coastal cruising in “soft-adventure destinations” to its portfolio of river cruises along the Amazon and Mekong Rivers. Details of its ships and itineraries will be released later this month.

The expansion comes after the company received a USD28 million capital injection by US-based private equity firm Bison Capital. The PE firm will remain Aqua’s majority shareholder and fully in charge of the company’s direction and growth.

Aqua Expeditions was founded in 2008 and has built a reputation for bringing five-star luxury to river cruising in remote areas, and the company promises to uphold this philosophy on its new fleet and routes.

“We succeeded in bringing an unprecedented improvement to experiencing both the Peruvian Amazon and the Mekong by introducing intimate and luxurious boats from which travellers take safari-like excursions led by expert guides to discover jungles, wildlife and local cultures,” said CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro, ““while back on board there is not only a staff-guest ratio of 1:1, but also ground-breaking cuisine overseen by internationally renowned celebrity chefs.”

Doug Trussler, partner at Bison Capital, added, “We are equally excited about this partnership. We are impressed by the brand and product Francesco has built and have a high degree of confidence in him and his team to deliver on the vision and goals of global expansion while maintaining dedication to quality and innovation.”